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3 Ways Having a Lazy Weekend Can Be Good for Your Health

Staying active is an important part of being healthy—of course! But there's something to be said for taking it easy. As a matter of fact, a good lazy day has certain good-health benefits too.

Lazy-day activity: Waking up late Women are notoriously racking up a serious sleep debt throughout the week (60 percent of us regularly fall short of the seven to nine hours of snooze time recommended every night). But according to the Harvard-affiliated Sleep Health Centers, we can actually repay some of that debt on the weekends. Let's say you missed 10 hours of sleep over the course of your workweek. Researchers recommend adding three to four extra sleep hours on the weekend and then an extra hour or two per night the next week until your debt is all paid up.

Lazy-day activity: Have a movie marathon Research has shown that laughing at a funny movie has cardiovascular benefits—it's good for your heart! And if scary is more your thing, this possible benefit won't frighten you at all: Researchers found that simply watching a 90-minute horror movie can burn up to 113 extra calories.

Lazy-day activity: Reread a book When you read, you're exercising your brain (uh, was that exact phrase in a "Schoolhouse Rock" somewhere?)—but when you read something you've already read before, you gain even more benefits. According to a study in The Journal of Consumer Research, the first time you read a story, you're swept up in the plot. But with subsequent reads, you reconnect with the characters on an emotional level, which helps you get more in touch with your own mental state.

What are your favorite lazy-day activities? And what's up for you this weekend?